


Untitled

by jollychick



Category: K-pop, VIXX
Genre: But Not Much, Canon Compliant, ChaBin, Fluff, He-motions, Headcanon Compliant, I'm not sure anymore, Jealousy, M/M, Misunderstandings, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, a tiny bit of angst?, i just love VIXX, keo - Freeform, maybe some more angst?, maybe? - Freeform, navi - Freeform, what am I doing with my life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-04-21 01:37:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14274123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jollychick/pseuds/jollychick
Summary: Jaehwan realizes he hasn't exactly killed his feelings for a particular Hamster after all.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm gonna apologize now! I've never written anything like this (as in fanfics) and I have no idea what I'm doing. If this doesn't bother you, please continue!
> 
> I started this back when LR Whisper promotions had just ended and Leo wasn't able to participate in the ~La La La 愛をありがとう promotions in Japan, so that's the setting for this fic. Then I got super sick myself, which I'm still dealing with, and didn't have the chance to upload this thing (my lack of uploading may or my not have been helped along by the terror I felt at the thought of someone else reading this). 
> 
> Warning- I have no beta so any weirdness is all on me

After promotions in Japan ended, along with all the slightly awkward interviews and botched attempts at Japanese, it was a short flight home. Home. Where his hyung had been for this entire promotional period. After debut, all six boys learned how much the group needed each member, and this was a stark reminder of that. It was more than just having to rearrange choreography or record a missing member's lines, it was like a hole had formed in the group and at the moment, there was a Jung Taekwoon-shaped void in VIXX. Jaehwan wasn't sure about the rest of his members, but he wouldn't feel at ease until his Daeguni-hyung was healthy, happy and being dorky beside him.... well, actually, Taekwoon would be standing between Wonsik and Hongbin but, you get the point. 

As 5VIXX prepared to make their appearance through the airport on the way to their vans, Jaehwan felt excitement buzz beneath his skin at the thought of seeing Taekwoon. He grabbed his hat and pouch and stepped behind Hakyeon to begin the trek. He tried to smile for all the Starlight who'd shown up to welcome them back to Korea but, he couldn't keep his mind from wandering. Would Taekwoon be as excited to see Jaehwan as Jaehwan was to see him? It'd been a few weeks since they'd seen each other and while FaceTime and KakaoTalk helped, it wasn't the same as being next to his hyung. 

He must have been really deep in thought because the next thing Jaehwan knew, Wonsik had slung an arm around him, effectively bringing him out of his reverie. The arm hooked around his neck as he heard a whispered baritone ask, "What's up, hyung? You look out of it...". Jaehwan managed a weak smile and tried to give his fans all the aegyo and finger hearts they could handle.

The members had already decided who'd get in which van before leaving the plane. After waving towards the fans that had been waiting outside, Wonsik, Hognbin and Hyuk loaded in to the first van while Hakyeon and Jaehwan got into the second. The ride began in silence. It always did. This was a time when the members would drift into a short nap, message family and friends or pop in a pair of ear buds and zone out. None of which happened for Jaehwan once Hakyeon, sitting in the front passenger seat, turned to stare at his dongsaeng. 

Jaehwan stared back for a moment, before the feeling that Hakyeon could read his thoughts became overwhelming and he shifted his gaze towards his phone. The same group chat he'd been looking at for hours blared at him in the van's cool, dark interior. As he started to flick back to the beginning of the conversation, one he'd read at least a dozen times by now, he'd almost forgot about Hakyeon in the front seat. It wasn't until he heard a soft, "He's fine, you know?", that he remembered his leader had been searching his soul a few moments ago. He titled his head in confusion when he responded, "Huh? Who, hyung?" One dramatic eye-roll and sigh later, Jaehwan realized his pitiful stalling tactic hadn't worked. He set his phone to the side because he knew he couldn't escape this conversation. Not without having to jump from a moving car, and with the speed of traffic around them, he wasn't sure he'd survive.

"I think you know exactly who I'm talking about, Jaehwan-ah." was all Hakyeon said before turning back around in his seat to face the front. Jaehwan sat there, trying to get his thoughts together. He was surprised. Usually this hyung would continue to pepper him with questions until he relented. 

"You don't have to tell me what's bothering you but, I figured now would be a good time if there was anything you wanted to vent about." Hakyeon did his best to keep the exasperation he felt out of his voice. He's always paid close attention to his members and while Jaehwan wasn't always as loud and mischievous as he appeared when the cameras were rolling, he'd been particularly quiet today. All his senses were telling him that the young man was worried about their band mate.

"It's not that big a deal. I don't have anything to 'vent' about, it's just..." Jaehwan's voiced trailed off. What was wrong? Taekwoon had gotten a clean bill of health. Their Japanese album had topped the Japanese charts for days and they'd ended promotions successfully. He looked at his discarded phone on the seat beside him and sighed. Hakyeon was still facing the front but Jaehwan knew his hyung was waiting for him to complete his sentence.

"...It's just... hyung, didn't he seem a little...different, in our group chat earlier?" he asked Hakyeon. Technically, he knew what his problem was, but that didn't make it any easier to discuss with his leader. His nervous tone must have alerted Hakyeon because the man once again turned around in his seat to stare at Jaehwan. 

"I don't think so. I mean, he could try using a few more hearts and smiley faces when he replies to me! I tell him time and again that he needs to express his emotions more, and what better way than to use emoticons?! It's like he doesn't listen to me at all, you know?" Hakyeon enthuses, completely forgetting about the reason for this supposed heart-to-heart. As Hakyeon continued to lament over Taekwoon's reluctance to use emoji, Jaehwan thought that perhaps jumping from the car wasn't such a bad idea after all.

"-wan-ah. Jaehwan? Are you listening to me? And do you know he had the nerve to tell me-" Hakyeon continued. Jaehwan couldn't take it anymore. If he wanted this conversation to go anywhere he had to stop his hyung's rant.

"I wasn't talking about his use of smileys, hyung. Didn't you notice he only responded in our group chat whenever he was directly addressed. Usually he always replies to us with sarcastic comments or something, even when we aren't talking to him but, ever since he started resting..." Jaehwan let his sentence trail off again. What he really wanted to say is 'He hasn't been responding to my messages at all!' That was the real problem. 

All their fans knew how shy Taekwoon had been when they debuted. Even three years after debut, he was still introverted, which added to his appeal. It was only within the last year and a half that his hyung had come out of his shell on camera and in front of their fans. The one thing that hadn't changed was, no matter how shy he was, Taekwoon would always respond to Jaehwan. He felt special when his quiet hyung would show bashful smiles and duck his head in laughter because of something Jaehwan had said. 

It was no secret that Jaehwan had a special relationship with Taekwoon. The two had so much in common. They're both main vocals, have the same dream of being musical actors and because of that, they had similar worries as well. There was a time when Jaehwan thought that maybe his hyung looked at him in a similar fashion but, lately that hadn't been the case. Taekwoon was always purposely bothering Hyuk or messing with Hognbin or Wonsik and Jaehwan didn't care for it at all. He tried to keep his expression neutral whenever his hyung was in a playful mood and would poke, prod and giggle with any member aside from him. Taekwoon touching another member would be at the top of the "Things that put Lee Jaehwan in a bad mood" list. He felt a strange ache in his chest every time it happened.

When they'd filmed that travel program in Cambodia the year before, Jaehwan thought he'd hit the jackpot. Not only were they on "vacation", but he got to have Taekwoon all to himself for several days. All the years before, Jaehwan had never really considered why he found everything Taekwoon did and said so interesting. He knew what the fans said about the two of them, and sure, he played it up when the cameras were on, but it never occurred to him that it may have meant something more. To be honest, he just liked being around Taekwoon. He liked having his attention and making him laugh, and having his hyung depend on him, and receiving advice from him, sharing his thoughts with him and....well, he simply liked Taekwoon. He wouldn't allow himself to think any further than that. 

"I know how you feel, Jaehwan." Hakyeon interrupted his thoughts. "Nothing matters, as long as he's there. Even the smallest happening becomes something you want to tell him, just to see him smile. And it hurts because he doesn't have a clue." Hakyeon was looking down at his own hands as he said this but when he met Jaehwan's eyes again, the miserable look in his eyes belied the smile he wore. 

Jaehwan didn't know what to say to Hakyeon, so he said nothing at all. His mind was already racing with thoughts of all the things he wanted to tell Taekwoon when he saw him. Hakyeon summing up his situation so matter of factly presented feelings Jaehwan didn't have the courage to examine. Feelings he'd swear he'd already squashed, when LR started preparations for their debut, back in 2015. He couldn't open that chapter again, not when it meant he might ruin the relationship that had taken years to build with his hyung. They sat in a slightly depressing silence for the rest of the ride back to the dorm. It wasn't until much later that Jaehwan began to wonder who Hakyeon had been referring to with that look of defeat.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here' chapter 2~
> 
> I had a hard time editing this for whatever reason so apologies for any mistakes m(_ _)m  
> I think I've decided who Hakyeon has been referencing but I'm not sure what to do about it lol. Like I said, this is my first time. not only posting a fic, but also writing. Like I've only ever written essays and college papers so I'm a newbie fanfic writer. Please have mercy!
> 
> Hope you all continue to enjoy the story so far!!!

Feeling much more morose than when they'd entered, Hakyeon and Jaehwan exited the van in their dorm’s underground parking lot and stretched their legs. It was always hard to move after sitting still in a car for long periods of time. A quick look around showed that the other van had already arrived, so they made their way to the elevator.

Jaehwan was still lost in thought, thanks in part to Hakyeon but mostly his horrible discovery that he'd never actually gotten over his middle school crush on Taekwoon. How could he have not realized this? He'd spent so long telling himself that he didn't like his hyung that he'd convinced himself of it.

At least a few years ago, Taekwoon had been shy. Jaehwan acted as his knight, fending off curious hosts in interviews and variety shows, giving lively reactions and even answering questions directed at his hyung. Jaehwan felt like his hyung had depended on him during those times, but that wasn't the case anymore. Taekwoon had loosened up a lot in interviews. He could answer questions and follow silly requests. He'd even done a show on his own, without any of the VIXX members. He no longer needed Jaehwan and because of this, he felt his status in Taekwoon's eyes had been demoted.

"Now what am I supposed to do?" He asked out loud, surrounded by a feeling of hopelessness. Hakyeon, who'd been leaning against the far wall of the elevator with his eyes closed, peered at his group member. He knew. Back then and even now, he knew. What confused him was how Taekwoon still hadn't noticed Jaehwan's feelings. It wasn't hard to see, even Hongbin had casually mentioned Jaehwan was like a "schoolgirl with her first crush" when it came to Taekwoon. What confused him even more was how taken aback Jaehwan seemed about it. Surely a person can tell when they're in love. Hakyeon realized he was in love the moment he'd seen-

"It's not like worrying will make it any better." Jaehwan replied to himself. He nodded his head vigorously and grinned, doing his best to act like his usual, bubbly self.

When the elevator delivered them to their floor, they walked in silence to their door. From outside, they could here Hongbin and Hyuk laughing. It was easy to tell they were having a good time and a smile formed on Jaehwan's face at the thought. After kicking off his shoes in the entryway, he padded to the living room were the rest of his members had gathered.

His eyes immediately went to Taekwoon, who was sitting on the sofa. Hyuk was on one side, arms flailing as he recalled a story and Hongbin on the other side, holding his stomach in laughter. Wonsik was on the floor next to his feet, looking up at Taekwoon with a hand on his hyung's thigh, smiling fondly as he listened to the maknaes talk about that random interview when Hakyeon had forgotten his lines half a dozen times. At the sight of Wonsik's hand, Jaehwan bit his lip and looked away for a moment. It's fine. No need to get himself worked up over something so silly. Hakyeon had already planted himself in one of their kitchen chairs that apparently had been moved into the living room so they could all get comfortable. With a deep breath and his biggest smile, Jaehwan walked towards Taekwoon.

His movement caught Taekwoon's attention and his hyng looked up at him for a moment. He'd been smiling originally but as soon as he'd seen Jaehwan, his face sobered a bit and Jaehwan felt his own smile droop. Hongbin noticed his approach and immediately slid over to sit on the arm of the sofa, giving Jaehwan room to sit next to Taekwoon. Hyuk had still been talking so there wasn't an opportunity to say anything to his hyung. That was for the best since he had no idea what he'd say. The moment Hyuk finished his story, Taekwoon stood, announcing he'd been preparing dinner for all of them and jogged to the kitchen.

"Leo-ya, shouldn't you be taking it easy still?" Hakyeon called from his seat. He immediately looked at Jaehwan, who appeared lost and disappointed. He felt bad that he couldn't do anything for his dongsaeng but Hakyeon didn't think it was his business to interfere between those two. "He just won't listen.... He must know how useful my advice can be! And I'm going to all this trouble for his sake! I was telling Ken-ah on the way back here that if he'd just use a few more smiley's an-"

"I'm gonna see if he needs Chef Ken's assistance!" Jaehwan joked, cutting Hakyeon off. He saw no reason to stick around and listen when his Daeguni hyung was all alone in another room, where Jaehwan could have his undivided attention. He stood and followed Taekwoon into the kitchen. It wasn't just his imagination, Taekwoon had been acting odd and he wanted to know why. His socked feet allowed him to travel in near silence, keeping his presence in the kitchen entryway a secret from his hyung who was currently gripping the edge of the sink, head bowed low.

"Leo-hyung...?" Jaehwan called. He didn't want to startle Taekwoon but something wasn't right. He quickly walked over and slid a hand down Taekwoon's back to rest on his left hip. "You okay? I thought you might need some help but... Maybe you should go rest like N-hyung said? No need to push yourself." He mumbled close to his hyung's ear, trying to provide comfort with his words. He'd expected Taekwoon to push him away and laugh or neck chop him. What he didn't see coming was the expression on Taekwoon's face when he finally looked into Jaehwan's eyes.

"I have to do this.." Taekwoon whispered. He was gnawing on his upper lip and his eyes were slightly moist. If Jaehwan had to guess, it looked like his hyung was about to start crying at any moment. "It's my fault you and the others had to go through so much extra work during this promotion. The least I should do is cook something." Taekwon said this in a slightly louder voice, though he still wasn't speaking at full volume. Jaehwan likes to believe this is the reason he'd gotten so much closer to his hyung, not because he'd been staring at his lips and felt some kind of magnetic pull. That slight distraction caused Jaehwan to miss the moment when Taekwoon had grabbed his arm in a vice-like grip, as if he were desperate for Jaehwan's understanding.

With his usual perfect timing, Hakyeon walked in to the kitchen. It was too quiet in the room, considering Jaehwan was in there and he was a bit worried. He'd expected the young man to perk up as soon as he'd seen Taekwoon but, judging from the scene in front of him, Jaehwan was still abnormally quiet. Hakyeon also noticed that Taekwoon had avoided speaking to Jaehwan back in the living room and wanted to scream. If only his friend knew what Jaehwan felt. He decided to step in and give the two a chance to speak. It wasn’t interfering, per say, just making sure his best friend didn’t overwork himself when he’d recently been sick. Or that’s what Hakyeon told himself as he announced his presence.

"I figured he shouldn't be up and about yet. I'll take over here so Jaehwan, take him back to his room so he can lie down." Hakyeon ordered. He walked over to the stove to stir the contents of the pot that was close to boiling over.

"Thanks, hyung." Jaehwan immediately replied. Before Taekwoon could refute this turn of events, Jaehwan's hand that had fallen from Taekwoon earlier was now firmly gripping his hyung's side, guiding him from the kitchen. Once they were in the hall that led to the members' rooms, Taekwoon seemed to snap out of his daze. He opened his mouth to tell Jaehwan that he had to go check on his food but his dongsaeng cut him off before he started, opening the door that led to Taekwoon's own room.

"Here we are. Hyung, go have a seat on the bed and I'll get you a glass of water." Jaehwan hurried to do as he'd said, leaving Taekwoon standing in the doorway. When he reached the kitchen, Jaehwan saw Hakyeon struggling to cut the onion that had been left on the counter. He tapped his shoulder carefully, trying not to startle him while he was wielding a knife.

"That was fast. Did you tell him what's been bothering you?" Hakyeon replied without taking his eyes off his chopping. Jaehwan leaned a hip against the counter and let out a small laugh. He should've known his psychic hyung would know what needed to be done before he himself could figure it out.

"Not yet, hyung. I figured I'd get him a glass of water first but, I wanted to thank for for what you did back there." Jaehwan said this as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't need to expound on what exactly he was thanking Hakyeon for, they both knew. He grabbed a tall, clear glass and filled it with cool water before returning to Taekwoon's room.

His steps slowed once he was out of the kitchen and away from Hakyeon's second set of eyes that saw all. As he walked down the hall, he tried to come up with a plan, a short speech to convey his feelings and leave his hyung in awe at the depth of his emotions. But Jaehwan's plans, as often seen in his VIXX TV interview attempts, rarely ever pan out in his favor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to post this in celebration of our boys' first win on The Show tonight!!! They work so hard and are such earnest babies! They definitely deserved this win! 
> 
> I'm the biggest VIXX nerd and love to analyze their interactions and generally squeal over them. If you're into any of that, send me a message!
> 
> I hope to see you in the next chapter~


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all!! Sorry it's been so long but I'm back with chapter 3~ This was really hard to write. Pacing is a very difficult thing lol! I hope everyone is still enjoying the story so far tho. 
> 
> Now on to the KEO!

Taekwoon was wearing loose-fitting, navy sweatpants and a black hoodie. Apparently the hoodie had gotten a bit warm on him because the sight that greeted Jaehwan as he walked into his hyung's room was a strip of pale, flat stomach and a belly button. Taekwoon was in the middle of removing his hoodie and the process had revealed some skin. Jaehwan froze with his back against the door. His plan completely forgotten, he suddenly felt the need to take a gulp of the water he'd brought for his hyung. Finally, the torture ended when he tossed the garment to the side and adjusted his t-shirt to fully cover his midsection.

"Jaehwan-ah? What's wrong?" Taekwoon's soft voice asked. He had calmed down since they left the kitchen and had the cutest look of confusion on his face and... Oh no! Jaehwan could feel himself smiling like an idiot and there was no way he'd be able to tell his hyung why!

"I-it's just been so long since I’ve seen you! Ah! Here's your water." Jaehwan replied as he walked over to his now seated hyung. He handed Taekwoon the glass and took a few steps back. As he stared as his hyung take a small sip, his mind, once again, traveled to their time spent together in Cambodia. Jaehwan didn't have to keep up his cutie main vocal image. Didn't have to be anything other than himself and it was a relief. He loved acting cute but sometimes he just wanted to be Lee Jaehwan and Taekwoon seemed to understand this more than anyone.

With that thought in mind, it shouldn't have shocked him as much as it did that he liked Taekwoon a bit more than as a band mate. But it did. The last evening they'd spent in Cambodia, Jaehwan had come to realize he could be happy spending the rest of his life like that. Walking around with Taekwoon at his side, trying new foods and visiting new places, laughing together and singing in harmony as they travel, bumping into each other, arms wrapped around shoulders, though holding hands would be nice too. His thoughts were cut short as his hyung began to speak.

"I'm sorry, Jaehwan-ah. I'm so sorry. I know you probably don't even want to be near me but, I just need you to listen ok?" Taekwoon practically begged. He peered up at Jaehwan to make sure he was listening and Jaehwan is sure Taekwoon had no idea he'd shocked his dongsaeng into silence. With no response coming from Jaehwan, Taekwoon continued.

"I'm supposed to be the hyung. Set an example for you guys. I need to be strong for you all when you feel too tired to move....I'm not supposed to just...dump extra work on you because I don't take care of myself. I need you guys to know that I'm sorry. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for you, Jaehwan-ah. Not just singing your parts but handling mine as well." Taekwoon sounded ashamed of himself. When he took a break in his speech, Jaehwan used that moment to correct his hyung on a few things.

"What are you even saying?! Do you really think I don't want to stand next you? Or sing with you? True, we had to take a few extra parts but we're a team! You'd do the same for us, right? Do you know how many times we've felt rundown but looking at you made us feel like we could try again? What happened to you could happen to any of us. We need you to be healthy. That's what matters! We're not VIXX without you and if that means you need rest so we can be whole again, then so be it! You're so important to us.... to me. I need you with me...so much it hurts...." Jaehwan sagged after his last statement trailed off. He hadn't meant to say it but, he wasn't going to take it back. Not like he was known for being able to hide his feelings very well, anyway. He felt his eyes, which were staring blankly at his own feet, begin to fill with tears but he wasn't sure why.

It could've been the eminent fear he would be rejected, or that a heavy weight had been lifted off his chest with this revelation to Taekwoon but, at this point it didn't matter. His hands balled into fists as he stood there, waiting for his hyung to laugh in his face. Instead of hearing mockery, he felt a large hand cup the back of his neck, long fingers playing with hairs at his nape and a thumb that brushed lazily across his jaw. His hyung said nothing, and Jaehwan couldn't bring himself to break the silence.

After what seemed like forever, but was probably no more than 10 seconds, Jaehwan dared to lift his eyes and take a look at Taekwoon. What he saw took his breath away. Not only had Taekwoon been staring at him the entire time, he had the most gentle and adoring smile Jaehwan had ever seen. He felt his pulse speed up when their eyes met. He'd laughed at the fan accounts he'd read, describing Taekwoon's gaze as dangerous. After having lived together for more than 5 years, Jaehwan considered himself impervious to Taekwoon's eyes..... but boy was he wrong.

He inhaled to steady his wild heartbeat and gave a shy smile in return. That was when everything changed. Taekwoon took two small steps that brought him directly in Jaehwan's personal space, his other hand joined in the mix, cradling the opposite side of his dongsaeng's face. Taekwoon's eyes traveled down, starting from the younger's forehead. Jaehwan followed Taekwoon's gaze as it took in all of his features, from his eyebrows to his eyes, down the bridge of his nose and landing on his lips. There was an almost imperceptible bob of Taekwoon's adams apple as he swallowed, and Jaehwan saw that too.

He waited, pleading in his mind for his hyung to make a move but nothing happened. Taekwoon's eyes were still locked on Jaehwan's lips but he remained motionless, still cupping Jaehwan's face. His impatience getting the best of him, Jaehwan leaned in and softly pressed his lips to his hyung's. That was, apparently, what Taekwoon needed because he immediately took charge of the kiss. Tilting his head, Taekwoon slid his left hand down from Jaehwan's face and let it glide down his neck, over his shoulder and rest on the small of his back, simultaneously pulling Jaehwan closer until their bodies were pressed together from hip to lips.

A slightly embarrassing noise, one Jaehwan would never admit he was capable of producing, escaped him when Taekwoon bit Jaehwan's lower lip before gently sucking the sting away. Blushing more by the second, Jaehwan's hands began to creep up Taekwoon's chest. He wasn't sure what he was doing, but he just needed to touch Taekwoon, to feel that his hyung was really there and kissing the breath from his lungs.

As the room started to heat, the moment was broken when Hongbin's voice could clearly be heard from the kitchen. When he roared "Ya! What have you done to Leo's food?!" Jaehwan felt like he'd been slapped. His hands, which had migrated to Taekwoon's shoulders in an attempt to hold on for dear life, pushed against his hyung, now in an attempt to create some distance between them. He didn't want the others to find out about him and Taekwoon. They'd never let him live it down in peace.

Jaehwan watched as Taekwoon stumbled back a few steps, that adorable look of confusion firmly back in place. Only this time, his lips were a beautiful shade of red and slightly puffy. Before he jumped on his hyung again, he figured he should try to explain why he'd put an abrupt end to their long-awaited kiss. At least, Jaehwan had been waiting for what felt like several lifetimes to kiss Taekwoon.

This was a dream come true. He'd finally been able to properly get his feelings across and then he went and ruined it only moments later. Simply to avoid the younger members' ribbing. It was just, he hated when the maknaes constantly teased him.

Usually he could brush off their comments but he didn't think he'd be able to handle it if they poked fun at his new relationship with Taekwoon. More than likely, that would include calling Jaehwan out during their interviews whenever he manages to slide up next to his hyung, purposely keeping them apart, making kissy noises at them in the back of the van and, worst of all, touching Taekwoon excessively. Everyone knew Jaehwan had a temper but, they hadn't seen anything when it came to sabotaging his time with Taekwoon. He really didn't want to have to strangle Kongs and Hyuk in their sleep. 

Jaehwan wasn't the best with words, even when he was calm, so he knew he had little chance of coherency in this situation, but he also knew he had to try. Maybe if he made it sound appealing enough, his hyung would agree without too much resistance.

"Um, Hyung! I was thinking, maybe we could, uh, keep this between us....? I mean, there's no reason to tell anyone for awhile. Let's just enjoy the secrecy! Us being idols, don't you think it's part of our job to experience a secret love affair?!" He finished his rambling with a wobbly smile, hoping his hyung would go for it.

An emotion Jaehwan couldn't identify passed over Taekwoon's face. It looked a bit like understanding which is why it wasn't a surprise when his hyung slowly began to nod his head in agreement. Jaehwan grabbed his hand and led them to sit side by side on the bed. He laid his head on his hyung's shoulder and when Taekwoon started to hum a new song he'd been composing, Jaehwan closed his eyes in bliss. Things had turned out much better than he'd expected. 

Both had been so wrapped up in their thoughts and each other that neither of them noticed when the door slowly opened. Their leader poked his head in to let them know they'd have to order takeout for dinner. When he saw their positions, a small smile bloomed on his face. He figured he shouldn't disturb them and closed the door as silently as he'd opened it. As he made his way back to the kitchen to grab all the takeout menus he'd collected over the years, he heard Wonsik, Hongbin and Hyuk in the living room, laughing about the mess he'd made of Taekwoon's pasta dish.

The smile fell from his face. It wasnt because of what they were saying. He was used to that and gave just as much sass as he could take. No, it was because of an unsettling realization. He knew he'd have to do something soon. There was no way he could continue on ignoring his feelings when his dongsaeng had been able to find happiness. He could definitely learn a thing or two from Jaehwan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wah! This took so long to edit and I'm sure there's still errors in it!! Thanks for reading and hopefully I'll see you soon in the next one. I enjoy comments and fangirling so feel free to both here :)
> 
> P.S.  
> I've finally figured out who Hakyeon is in love with and I've even written the entire scene! Please stick around to find out who's got Cha wrapped around his finger!
> 
> P.P.S  
> Hopefully at the end of this I'll come up with a title, hehe.


	4. ~Side N~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! Finally, we'll find out who Hakyeon fell for! It took me so long to decide but, I'm happy with it.
> 
> FYI, this chapter is just an insert. Since this fic is about Keo/Taekhwan, I won't spend much time focusing on Hakyeon and his "love life".   
> Perhaps, I'll actually write something separate for him after I'm done with this XD

It's been weeks since they've come back to South Korea. Things are going as scheduled and the finishing touches for their comeback, as attractive perfumers, have come together nicely.

The practice room was a cacophony of sounds. Their title track playing in the background as Hyuk went over the choreography for the chorus with Hognbin and Jaehwan could be heard making his famous aegyo noises in the background. Hakyeon looks around the room at his members as he sits on the floor, catching his breath. Taekwoon was in a similar state, a few feet away, huffing and puffing while seated on the floor. The only difference was Taekwoon's eyes were watching Wonsik as he poked Jaehwan on the cheek, Jaehwan's giggles only encouraging Wonsik to do more. Taekwoon's face was an unreadable mask but Hakyeon knew he didn't like what he saw. It probably didn't help that the young man seemed to enjoy the attention Wonsik was showering on him. 

Jaehwan must have sensed something because he turned his attention from the rapper and looked towards Taekwoon. Refusing to stand, Jaehwan rolled across the floor and sprawled next to his hyung. When Taekwoon wouldn't meet his eyes, unscrewing the cap from a bottle water never required so much concentration until now, Jaehwan touched his knee and gazed at him with a lazy smile. That was all it took.

Taekwoon smiled behind the bottle of water he was sipping from as he gently rubbed Jaehwan's neck and they entered their own world, just like that. Hakyeon turned from the scene and thumped his head back against the mirror he was leaning on, closing his eyes.

He'd made a promise to himself. He would finally make a move. Try and secure his own happiness. The thing is, as good at talking as he claimed to be, he would get unexpectedly quiet when it came to speaking with his crush. It usually involved him staring deeply in their eyes and awkward laughter.

Falling in love with a guy was never his plan. Although, to be honest, falling in love with anyone hadn't been a big concern when he was trying to become an idol. It became less and less important as time went on and he became busier with schedules.

Through all the years VIXX had been a group, lived together, laughed together and cried together, Hakyeon gathered a deep understanding of each member. They had their own strengths and weaknesses, all of them possessing a different type of charisma. He found himself drawn to someone who was his opposite in so many ways, yet similar in the ways that mattered most.

With his eyes still closed, Hakyeon smiled as he thought of him. Slightly shy, yet not afraid to go before a crowd and be himself. Criticized by the public and called useless, yet improved himself through every comeback. Unique voice, charming eyes and a fierce confidence gained through experience. During interviews, Hakyeon couldn't help but sing his praises. Just thinking his name was enough to put Hakyeon in a better mood.

As his crush's smile started to form in his mind, Hakyeon was brought out of his fantasy by loud shrieking and laughing. He opened his eyes to see Jaehwan restraining a violent Taewkoon from grabbing their maknae. During all the commotion, he was able to pick up bits of the conversation though their guffaws. Something about "Grandpa Leo" and "No stamina" before he found himself laughing quietly to himself. He began coughing, not too much and certainly not loud enough to be heard over Jaehwan and Hyuk, but enough that his throat felt a little rough afterwards.

It was then he noticed his mouth was extremely dry. Thinking back, he hadn't had a thing to drink since before they'd started rehearsing. He patted the floor around him, looking for the bottle Taekwoon had been drinking. In his murderous rage, surely he wouldn't notice a few mouthfuls missing.

Before he could finish his search, the bottom of a cold bottle of water touched his forehead. He squeaked before he could catch himself and swatted at the offending plastic. He was about throw a fit when the voice of his crush said "Thirsty, hyung?" and a body immediately plopped down beside him.

Hakyeon felt like he was floating on cloud nine. He could feel a smile stretching across his face as he accepted the bottle gratefully and took a sip. A chuckle burst from him as he realized how simple he was, the happiness he felt because the man of his dreams gave him a plain bottle of water.

He'd promised himself! Time to make his move! That was the idea and yet the only word to make it's way from his addled brain, out of his mouth was a name, "Hongbin-ah".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you think?  
> Did you like it? I hope so!! I'll update tags at a later date, no need to spoil it for people who haven't read the latest chapter yet.  
> Comments and fangirling always appreciated!  
> Sorry it's kinda short! The next chapter will be back to my normal word count, I promise!  
> See you then~


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where did time go?!  
> This chapter was originally something very different. I think it started to write itself at one point haha!  
> Still no beta so all mistakes are my own fault.

Taekwoon awoke in a daze. The late hours of an idol, coupled with rehearsal after rehearsal, voice lessons and acting lessons could cause one to lose track of time. He sat up in bed and looked across the room, at the comfy chair in the corner. It was piled high with the blankets Taekwoon had covered Jaehwan with the previous night. His dongsaeng had fallen asleep listening to Taekwoon practice for his upcoming musical.

Even though their newest dorm was spacious enough for all 6 VIXX members to have their own room, Wonsik and Hyuk had decided to share. Taekwoon was hoping that Jaehwan would consider moving into his room but, he hadn't said anything so far. Before Jaehwan had curled up on the chair, Taekwoon suggested sharing the bed, like they'd done in the past. He didn't plan to try anything funny with Jaehwan, Taekwoon just really liked holding him as he slept. A strange looked crossed Jaehwan's features before a deep blush started at his neck and crept up his face as he shook his head. Taekwoon could only chuckle as he opened his script and began practicing. When Taekwoon could no longer get his eyes to focus on the pages in front of him, he set the script aside and got into bed, sleep claiming him immediately. 

Stumbling out of bed, he grabbed the first shirt his hand landed on and pulled it over his head on his way out of the room. When he stepped into the kitchen, the first thing he noticed was the smell of food cooking. Well, more like burning but, at least the smoke detector hadn't started blaring yet.

He finally made it to his destination, the coffee pot, when he chanced a look at the slender male currently destroying what was once supposed to be fried eggs. Even though the person was wearing a hood, obscuring most of his features, Taekwoon could tell it was his Jaehwan. He pressed the start button on the machine and stepped behind Jaehwan to cuddle up to his dongsaeng's back. Wrapping his arms around his upper arms, Taekwoon hooked his chin over the young man's left shoulder.

He tried to appear innocent, like he only want to take a look at what Jaehwan was killing in the frying pan but, anyone who saw the scene would know Taekwoon simply enjoyed having Jaehwan in his arms. It was no secret that Taekwoon enjoyed skinship with a certain main vocal. Jaehwan turned his head to the left slightly, not even remotely surprised by his hyung's actions. Taekwoon saw his chance and leaned forward to steal a kiss just as Jaehwan started to pout. Whatever the younger was about to say was replaced by a small smile and blush. 

"Morning, Hyung-ah." came Jaehwan's sleepy voice, slightly muffled because Taekwoon's right ear was pressed completely against the hood covering Jaehwan's head. He continued to stir the mess in the pan as he said it, his face scrunched in the cutest look of concentration Taekwoon had ever seen, once he slid the hood from Jaehwan's head.

"Just leave it, Jaehwan-ah. I don't think it can be saved... What was it supposed to be, anyway?" Taekwoon asked as he spun Jaehwan in his arms, one hand reaching and turning the burner off at the same time. He looked in Jaehwan's eyes, enjoying how warm and soft he appeared in the morning, even as his face started to frown because of his disrespected attempt at cooking breakfast.

"It's kimchi stew! Your favorite!" Jaehwan replied, clearly exasperated with his hyung. Taekwoon's immediately thought was 'Huh, so it wasn't eggs...', though he'd never say it out loud. Jaehwan's hands glided up to Taekwoon's abdomen to land on his chest, pout firmly in place. The only choice Taekwoon had left, at least in his mind, was to kiss it away. He pecked Jaehwan multiple times on the lips, brow and nose. 

"Good morning." Taekwoon replied, a broad smile on his face because Jaehwan was still wearing that ridiculous pout, clearly looking to be spoiled with more kisses. Taekwoon wasn't able to say no to Jaehwan before they'd gotten together, so he didn't stand a chance now. He leaned in to give his best friend, and group member, turned lover exactly what he wanted when he heard a deep, rumbling voice down the hall.

Obviously Wonsik was awake now and by the sounds, something hilarious had happened, his bellowing laugh carrying across the across the dorm. Taekwoon's smile turned from adoring to mild amusement. He had no idea what could be so funny but he was glad his members were in a good mood. The laughing, now interspersed with talking, was beginning to get louder. The other members, Taekwoon could easily hear Hongbin and Hyuk in the mix, were heading towards the kitchen. He wasn't sure where Hakyeon was but, he was happy not to have to endure the leader's touches and hugs at the moment.

The only problem was Jaehwan. Where he'd been so open and affectionate only seconds ago, he was now completely stiff in the confines of Taekwoon's arms. His face showed he was extremely uncomfortable and when he tried to take a step back, Taekwoon used his long arms to cage Jaehwan in, his front to Taekwoon and his back against the kitchen counter.

This wasn't new. Ever since Taekwoon had decided to take his relationship with Jaehwan a step further, he'd noticed how cold and aloof Jaehwan seemed around him whenever Wonsik was around. When it happened, Taekwoon's mind would flash back to Jaehwan's request, more like plea, for secrecy. Could it be this was all a game to Jaehwan? His heart told him no but, his brain was working against him.

Maybe Jaehwan just chose Taekwoon as a means to an end. Looking at it objectively, Jaehwan was always being pampered and adored by Wonsik. The rapper always calling Jaehwan cute no matter he did. Constantly petting him and poking him and laughing wildly at his jokes. But that was only when the cameras were on. When the cameras were off, Wonsik still adored Jaehwan, it just wasn't quite so passionate. Was Jaehwan wishing that Wonsik would continue to shower him with attention?

It was no secret among the members and fans that Taekwoon had a soft spot for their resident cutie main vocal. Starting from before they'd officially debuted more than 5 years ago, Jaehwan had been the only member to consistently get past his shyness, even laughing at Taekwoon's weird jokes. Surely Jaehwan must've noticed as well. If you hated feeling lonely, like Jaehwan, maybe it was easier to settle for someone who could love you, since you couldn't have the one you loved. It's not like settling for Taekwoon would make his attraction to someone else fade away...

"Ah...um, Hyung? I n-need to go get ready.. We have that i-interview for Idol of Asia....and..." Jaehwan mumbled, no longer meeting Taekwoon's eyes. After staring another few seconds, Taekwoon took a step back, giving Jaehwan the space he needed to escape before the others saw the them together.

As Taekwoon took the pan of burned kimchi stew to the sink, he thought about the previous day. Yesterday had been a rare day off. He'd spent most of the day with his family, catching up and playing with his nephew. When he finally returned to their dorm, the sun was beginning to set. The lights were off in the living room so he figured everyone else had gone out. He turned the lights on and couldn't help the mild annoyance he felt at how crummy the room appeared.

Though it wasn't his habit, he decided to clean the living room a bit after changing his clothes. Six men living together created quite the mess and he couldn't get comfortable in a room that was crowded with junk and trash. He quietly walked to his room, picked out a tank top and a pair of shorts and returned to the living room to get started.

As he picked up discarded clothes, simultaneously trying to identify it's owner, he began to sing. At first it was just humming random melodies but, it eventually turned into him singing the first song he'd wrote that had been on one of their albums, Cold At Night. This particular song held a special place in his heart. Not only because of it being selected for Boys' Record, but mainly because he'd let Jaehwan listen to it first.

That was something he considered intimate. He took his music seriously and every composition was him revealing a piece of himself that had once been hidden. Jaehwan's reaction had been amazing. At first he seemed shocked, then he started to harmonized with Taekwoon. And though the song was meant to be a sad goodbye, it turned into a ballad of hope. One where they could find solace in each other.

He heard someone clear their throat just before a beautiful falsetto joined in to perfectly complete the chorus. As he slowly turned, he saw Jaehwan standing in the door frame as he raised an eyebrow, as if to ask Taekwoon why he'd stopped singing. With only half the dishes dried, Taekwoon abandoned the task in favor of dragging Jaehwan over to the couch and pulling the young man onto his lap. As Jaehwan squirmed to get comfortable, Taekwoon found the remote and turned the television on though didn't pay any attention to the screen. The rest of the evening had been filled soft voices and softer caresses.

They'd both received a message in the VIXX group chat, stating a few of the members would be at the dorm within minutes, asking whoever was already home if they had anything to eat. Ignoring his phone, Taekwoon asked Jaehwan if he wanted to come to his room. He'd been meaning to get some advice on his vocal technique for his musical and figured Jaehwan would be his best bet. Even though he first seemed hesitant to give his hyung advice, "You're two years older than me! How could I...", he would more often than not demonstrate how he'd sing, if he were in Taekwoon's place.

That time had been so peaceful and quiet, it belonged to them alone. He didn't have to worry about being interrupted or having his and Jaehwan's privacy ruined. He also didn't have to face the feelings Jaehwan obviously had for Wonsik. He honestly didn't know what to do. He could try and talk to someone but, who? Jaehwan clearly didn't want anyone to know about them. The first person that came to mind was Hakyeon. Surely this was something he could talk to their leader about, no matter how much the thought rankled him. 

Shaking his head to clear away the idea for now, he made his way to the bathroom. Now wasn't the time to worry about it, he had to wash up and get in the van. They had to stop at the shop to get their hair and makeup done so they couldn't afford to be late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this still okay?? I hope so!  
> There shouldn't be many chapters left to this story so I hope you stay until then.  
> As always, comments are greatly appreciated~
> 
> I also have a question, are you guys and gals Ken x Leo or Leo x Ken?? I can't choose ;_;


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm baaaack~
> 
> I'm finally able to post a new chapter, YAY! I now have everything written so I'm just gonna post a chapter every Saturday for the next 3 weeks until this is complete.
> 
> Check the end notes for a full description of the ridiculousness that became my life after I posted the last chapter and thanks for reading!

With their makeup  and hair done, all 6 members of VIXX are in the practice room. Their  managers were setting up chairs while Hakyeon went over the script for the interview for the third time, asking questions along the way.

Taekwoon had taken a seat behind the piano in the far corner, content with the company of his own thoughts for the moment. He couldn't stop himself from watching Jaehwan flutter around the room, singing out of tune and generally being loud. He wanted to appear as if he were preoccupied playing the piano but it was hard to keep the smile off his face as he watched the young man.

His thoughts earlier had gotten him down a bit but he couldn't stay that way when Jaehwan was being so adorable. After their last comeback as 6, Taekwoon had been a little upset he hadn't been able to sit next to Jaehwan during their fan signs. He knew their fans adored Jaehwan and enjoyed seeing him interact with all the members but, Taekwoon loved being able to talk to him between signing albums for Starlight and he especially loved biting him. That was a habit he still couldn't figure out, though he saw no reason to worry since Jaehwan didn't seem to mind.

Taekwoon was looking forward to the interviews today. The only group activity they had was three interviews for their Chinese fans, which would all take place in their training room. After he'd quickly read over the script for two of them in the car, Taewkoon discovered he'd be seated next to Jaehwan for one of them and his mood had temporarily improved. It's not that he was uncomfortable around the other members, he simply felt he had a strong bond with the other main vocal.

They were dressed and ready to begin, the members now seated and answering questions. There was a game they played where each member had to describe the person sitting to their right. Taekwoon wanted to say "My everything!" but he knew that wouldn't be appropriate, so he stuck with his usual comment of "Cute". He couldn't help noticing the little disappointed expression that crossed Jaehwan's face. It was a shock because the young man's usual response would've been aegyo. Instead, he gave a frustrated twist of his lips before spending the next 3 minutes gushing over Wonsik and his amazing musical prowess, deep voice and perfect fashion sense.

Taekwoon became silent after that. Being reminded of his status in Jaehwan's heart was hard to deal with at the moment. He could be overreacting but the more he thought about it, the more sure he became that Wonsik was the one Jaehwan wanted.

The rest of the interview involved a lot of Hakyeon trying to fill in the gaps Taekwoon left with his sparse answers and emotionless face. He wondered where he'd gone wrong, if there was any way to convince Jaehwan to give him a real try or if it was too late. Even though he had originally dismissed the the idea of talking to Hakyeon, that was the only solution that seemed logical. At least he would have someone he could confide in and Hakyeon was good at keeping secrets so it was perfect. He made up his mind to talk to him later.

With all the interviews completed, the six men separated. Hyuk and Hongbin went off to attend singing and acting lessons while Wonsik voiced he was heading to his studio to work on something for his next mixtape. That left the hyung line together in the practice room.   
Taekwoon noticed Jaehwan walking towards him and spun around, loudly calling Hakyeon's name.

The leader turned around immediately, surprised . He was well aware that Taekwoon and Jaehwan were together and was going to make a quick escape to give them privacy. He had no intention of being a third wheel. Judging from the look on Jaehwan's face, he found it odd as well. He'd stopped abruptly when Taekwoon had completely ignored his approach, eyes wide. 

"Hakyeon-ah, manager-hyung told me to ask you about--" Taekwoon started. Jaehwan didn't hear the rest, he was too busy feeling stunned because of how he'd just been dismissed by Taekwoon. As he stood there, watching both his hyungs walk from the practice room, Taekwwon firmly closing the door behind them, Jaehwan felt his lower lip begin to wobble. He wouldn't cry over something so simple, he wouldn't. It was just the shock, added on to the long hours of rehearsals and his annoyance at trying to keep his budding relationship with Taekwoon a secret.

True, it was his idea to hide from the others....and he'd sort of talked Taekwoon into agreeing but.... he just didn't think it would be so hard. He felt so awkward! There was a time when Jaehwan could serenade Taekwoon in the middle of an interview without a second thought. He'd even thrown him finger hearts and given Taekwoon his most endearing aegyo possible. That had all changed when he realized his feelings. He couldn't even look him in the eye without shying away, simultaneously thanking God for the makeup that hid his blush. He'd seen the fancams of their concerts and felt so exposed. Was he always that obvious?

With the cameras gone, he'd planned to attach himself to Taekwoon like a koala until lessons or practice for his musical forced them to separate. Today was a light day for Jaehwan and he wanted to spend as much of it as he could with his hyung. Now, since Taekwoon obviously had more important, non-Jaehwan related, things to do with Hakyeon, he figured it wouldn't hurt to visit Wonsik for a bit. 

Back in their dorm, Jaehwan trudged up the stairs with his pout firmly in place. He had friends! He was fun! And energetic! He was cute and.... He was also starting to hate that word! Would he always be just "cute" to Taekwoon? Whatever. Maybe, if he was lucky, Wonsik had written some new scribbles he'd need Jaehwan to sing for him, or he could record a guide or something. Anything that would get his mind off of his hyung's transgressions. He made it to Wonsik's door before he heard laughing. It didn't seem like Wonsik was planning to head to the studio yet and that was fine with Jaehwan, instead of singing he could complain.

Deciding there was no need to knock, Jaehwan barged into Wonsik's room, sighing. After carefully flopping himself on Hyuk's bed, he dramatically places the back of his hand against his forehead and sighs again. Waiting another two seconds, he sighs a third time and glares at Wonsik, who finally gets the hint and turns from his phone , wearing an impressive glare of his own, and tells his sister he'll call her back. With a sheepish look on his face, all Jaehwan can get out is "Oops-" before Wonsik asks "What's up, hyung? Problems with our Hamzzi?"

Jaehwan's mouth opens and closes a few times before panic sets in. 

"How did you kno...I mean, what?! That's ridiculous! Why would I be having problems wi-" He screeches before Wonsik crossing the room to sit on his own bed across from Jaehwan. He gives his hyung a look, shakes his head and begins to play a game on his phone. This leaves Jaehwan confused. Where was the interrogation? Shouldn't Wonsik be asking him a million questions? If this was N-hyung, he'd be knee-deep in his explanations already... This silence was killing him! He hated awkward silence the most.

"Well?" Jaehwan asks in a huff. Wonsik blandly replies, "Well, what?", without even looking up from his phone. Jaehwan immediately becomes defensive. "You're not doing this right! After you've realized I came to you in my time of need, you're supposed to ask me if I want to talk about it. Then, when I refuse, you continue to worry until I finally crack and spill my guts. Then, when I feel broken and exposed, you'll offer advice that will solve all my problems and I'll live happily ever after with Taekw- I'll live happily ever after!" Jaehwan elaborated, crossing his arms even as he was laying on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

Clearing his throat, Wonsik sets his phone aside and asks in a monotone voice, "Oh my, hyung. What ever could be the matter? You seem so stressed. Please. Share your feelings with me." Jaehwan nods enthusiastically, satisfied with his dongsaeng's attention to detail and wording. He rolls on to his stomach and rests his chin on his forearms. 

"He's ignoring me. Or, avoiding me... I think? And I don't even know what I did, you know? Everything was going great between us! So, maybe I kind of told him I didn't want anyone to know about us. But he agreed! It's not like I'm ashamed, I just didn't want...." He trailed off but Wonsik picked up on his hesitation, "You just didn't want what, hyung? I can't give you advice if you don't tell me what's going on."

Who cares about pride?! Jaehwan thought to himself. He was just going to say it! "I don't want those two demons making fun of me! I know they like to poke fun but, I don't like it! They love annoying me on purpose and I might explode if they include Taekwoon in their games. When Binnie suspected my feelings toward hyung a while back, he started hanging all over him in public and and flirting with him during fan signs! And Hyukkie kept making sly remarks when he thought no one was paying attention! But-" Jaehwan was hard to interrupt once he got started. Wonsik figured the best thing to do was let him tire himself out and then try talking to him. He'd already gotten an idea of what his hyung's problem was. It was easy to zone out as he thought about the latest song he was composing. 

When he finally tuned back in, it was to a much more sullen Jaehwan, pouting as he said "It bothered me, hearing him call him "cute" like always, as if nothing between us had changed. Surely after knowing each other for more than 7 years I have some other qualities or traits. Something of value, you know? Maybe "handsome" or "cool" would be better?" Jaehwan took a breath then he finished with, "And you! Stop calling him your Hamzzi! Only I can call him that." muttering the last sentence as if he were talking to himself. Now was Wonsik's chance.

"Hyung, how would him calling you cool make you feel better? Plus, I doubt Hongbin was actually flirting with Taekwoon, you just get jealous easily. And I'm sure our Hamzzi really cares about you but, you know how awkward he is in front of cameras." Wonsik pointed out, ignoring the frown he received for calling Taekwoon Hamzzi. Habits were hard to break. 

It made sense to Jaehwan in his head, but his heart was in pain. Wonsik could tell this was going to be more than he could handle and figured a more experienced person needed to be brought in. Standing up, he motioned for Jaehwan to do the same and Jaehwan, still in his funk, stood up on autopilot, letting Wonsik drag him out of the room. It wasn't until they hit the steps that led to the first floor that Jaehwan began to wonder where they were going, which is why he never got the chance to tell Wonsik that both Hakyeon and Taekwoon were together.

The door to Hakyeon's room was cracked and the conversation could be heard if he concentrated on their voices. Jaehwan immediately latched on to the sound of Taekwoon voice as he asked "What should I do? Since the feelings aren't mutual, maybe I should call it off. I don't want to do this with Jaehwan anymore.", his voice sounding muffled. Hakyeon countered "Is that really what you want? This kind of decision can't be made lightly."

It was at this moment that Hakyeon noticed Jaehwan and someone else in the hall, just beyond his open door. Before he had a chance to shush him, Taekwoon, in a rare fit of frustration, yelled "I'm not! I'm doing this because I can't take being with him when-". Hakyeon cut him off before he could continue his sentence with a loud "Waaahhh!" as he sprinted towards his door. He was just in time to see Jaehwan's eyes widen and fill with tears. As Taekwoon peered over his shoulder, Hakyeon noticed who else was in the hall. Wonsik, holding a broken Jaehwan. Taekwoon watched, biting his lip. Well, Hakyeon thought, this could go one of two ways. Either they would work this out and make up or there would be some very awkward times ahead of them. Hakyeon couldn't let the latter happen and he was determined to put an end to all this confusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here we go!
> 
> -Many of you may not know but I was in japan when I posted that last chapter of this fic, towards the end of my study abroad. I was enjoying myself and had just gotten a little busy since it was the end of the semester.  
> -I had just printed my last report and decided "why not write some more of my keo fic?" I got a small bowl of japanese cocoa krispies and sat down at my desk to begin.  
> -I was about halfway through the chapter when I accidentally knocked my bowl of cereal onto my laptop keyboard DX I had to pour chocolate milk out of it!  
> -I lost everything on it but I was like "hey, it'll be fine once it dries"  
> -it wasn't. I still had 3 weeks left in japan so i decided I'd just use my tablet. the problem was none of my keo files were backed up, so I had to start over!  
> -fast forward to my arrival back home. I bought a new laptop, but it got lost in the mail  
> -my mom had emergency surgery and was stuck in the hospital for 11 days after  
> -the semester started 3 days after she got home  
> -stupid me decided to take 5 classes, one foreign language and the rest were history and religion classes (i.e. i had to read about 200pgs everyday to keep up in my classes)  
> -when the semester finally ended (my gpa still intact) I started writing again  
> -and here we are  
> ********************************************************************************  
> ugh it was so crazy but I love these two too much to give up on this story  
> Let me know what you think about it so far plz, I live on comments!


	7. Side Taek

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you look at that!  
> I'm posting on time lol
> 
> Almost there folks, it's almost the end! I've got another surprise or 2 left so I hope you'll keep reading until then~
> 
> Still no beta so sorry for all the mistakes

Taekwoon knew he was being rude when he'd ignored Jaehwan in favor of calling out to Hakyeon. He didn't want to be mean but there was no way he could keep a clear head if he spent time with Jaehwan at the moment. Refusing to look back, Taekwoon grabbed Hakyeon's shoulder and ushered him of the the room, asking one of their managers to take them back to the dorm.

Once they were in Hakyeon's room, Taekwoon immediately explained the situation as he saw it. 

"I know you know." Taekwoon stated as an opener. Hakyeon was a popular drama actor for a reason but, the look of innocent confusion he received in response was all the answer he needed. "I'm not sure what you're talking about but maybe if you start from beginning, I'll be able to catch up." Hakyeon replied placidly, looing down at his cuticles. Taekwoon sighed and rubbed at his eyes, or he was about to before he remembered he hadn't removed the makeup, from their earlier interviews, from his face yet. Instead, he settled for rubbing the back of his neck.

"Me and Jaehwan..." Taekwoon stalled, not sure how to continue. Why was his leader making this so difficult? "We, we're....together...?" He finished lamely. The truth was, though they'd been much closer than before and often kissed and touched, neither of them had ever actually defined what they were. Hakyeon's brow furrowed as he asked "Are you asking me or telling me?" They were dating, Taekwoon decided as he sat at the foot of Hakyeon's bed. In his heart, that's what it was.

"I'm telling you. And you already knew, so why the act? Never mind. That's not what I wanted to talk to about, well, it is but, not exactly. Ugh, this is so frustrating!" Taekwoon said, sliding from the foot of Hakyeon's bed to the floor, his hands covering his face as he leaned his head back against the frame.

"Okay. So, what's the problem? Isn't this what you've always hoped for?" Hakyeon asked, genuinely confused. He'd always noticed how Taekwoon only opened up to Jaehwan in their early days. No matter what Hakyeon tried, Taekwoon would shy away, literally run away, but Jaehwan had fascinated Taekwoon since day one. They were as different as night and day, yet complimented one another perfectly. As he sat at his desk and spun around in the chair to face Taekwoon, he softly said, "I thought you'd be more, happy, I guess."

"Happy?" Taekwoon replied, his hands sliding down his face, makeup forgotten, as he glared at Hakyeon. "Happy?! You thought I was happy when he started our relationship off with a pact of sworn secrecy? It makes me ecstatic when he runs away from me whenever all six of us are in the same room. My day can't get any better when I hear him talk about how great Wonsik is, how he wishes they could be in a sub-unit together. I love seeing him settle for me when he obviously wants to be with Wonsik!" This caused Taekwoon a moment of anguish. He was supposed to be happy, had been, actually. But it was hard to stay that way when the one person who means everything is always gushing over someone else, in your presence, and never wants to be seen together in front of that person.

Well, Hakyeon hadn't been expecting that outburst but, he needed to calm his companion down before he could explain how wrong he was. He loved Taekwoon, they were lifelong friends after all, but his biggest problem was that he bottled up his emotions until they erupted. He was sure that Taekwoon knew, deep down, that he was over-exaggerating the situation, but he was so hurt that it didn't matter. In his calmest voice, Hakyeon replied, "I had no idea about the whole secret thing but, you know how Jaehwannie is, he's always admired Wonsik's talent. I mean, that's not the same as wanting to be with him, though.", hoping to get through to him.

He stopped talking, giving Taekwoon time to process what he'd just said. In the quiet, Hakyeon thought back to the conversation he'd had with Jaehwan in the car, all those months ago, when Jaehwan had been so worried because Taekwoon hadn't been acting like himself. He'd been so distraught that he couldn't even play with Starlight at the airport. If there was one thing Hakyeon knew for sure about Jaehwan, it was that nothing could stop him from acting cute for their fans, not even having a cold.

Taekwoon, who'd been looking at the floor silently, looked at Hakyeon and in his eyes, Hakyeon could see genuine pain and resignation. So Taekwoon had already made his decision, it seemed. They were all grown men. If one of his members was determined to do something, Hakyeon would never try to change their mind, if it was for their own good. In times like this, however, he knew he had to step in. Before he got a chance to suggest Taekwoon speak to Jaehwan about his suspicions, Takewoon pulled his knees to his chest, his voice subdued as he asked "What should I do? Since the feelings aren't mutual, maybe I should call it off. I don't want to do this with Jaehwan anymore." 

Hakyeon couldn't believe what he was hearing. This was Taekwoon, the man who didn't give up on anything and fought until he achieved whatever he set as his goal. Maybe he didn't understand the finality of his decision. "Is that really what you want? This kind of decision can't be made lightly." Hakyeon asked gently. He didn't want to appear judgmental but he needed Taekwoon to see beyond how he was feeling at this very moment, to think about the future. Hakyeon caught a movement out the corner of his eye and turned to find his door hadn't been closed! Not only that, but he apparently had an audience. It was easy to identify Jaehwan in the hall but he couldn't tell who was with him. He turned to tell Taekwoon but it was too late.

It was a switch had been flipped. Taekwoon raised his head with a look of pure fury directed towards Hakyeon. His nostrils flared as he began his tirade. "I'm not! I'm doing this because I can't take being with him when-" but before Taekwoon said something he'd regret, more than what had already been said, Hakyeon started to shout as he practically ran towards his door.

Confused, Taekwoon followed the leader with his gaze and slowly stood up. Standing directly behind Hakyeon, he felt the pit of his stomach drop as he noticed Jaehwan being held by Wonsik. Taekwoon bit his upper lip, trying to keep his emotions in check as he realized he'd been right and the two of them would now flaunt their new status in his face. Jaehwan had his head resting against Wonsik's chest, his back to his hyungs as a bewildered Wonsik made eye contact with Taekwoon. It sounded like Jaehwan was crying, but they weren't happy tears. It sounded like the main vocalist's world had come to an end.

Fighting the urge to rip Jaehwan from Wonsik's arms and console him, it dawned on Taekwoon that maybe it wasn't what he thought. Maybe he'd miscalculated. But how could that be? All the signs were there. It made less sense the more Taekwoon thought about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has spiraled out of control! How did I end up with so many words from the simple idea "ken and leo kiss"???!?!
> 
> Feel free to scream in the comments and thanks for reading


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yeah~ I'm back with the last chapter!!! Kinda. I also have an epilogue but it's not really focused on Keo so...  
> No beta till the bitter end so all mistakes are mine
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this~

With a determined look on his face, Hakyeon cleared his throat and, while looking at Wonsik, declared "We need to settle this once and for all. Bring him and follow me." He turned to Taekwoon with a look that was hard to read and said, "Come on. We'll figure this out right now." His voice squashed any rebuttal Taekwoon tried to come up with and in the end, he followed slowly behind the other three, Hakyeon leading the way while Wonsik whispered softly to Jaehwan, following the eldest.

 

They all took seats around the dining table, Hakyeon at the head, Taekwoon to his right and Jaehwan and Wonsik to Hakyeon's left. After a deep inhale and slow exhale, Hakyeon opened his mouth to begin but Taekwoon found his voice, deciding to end this as fast as possible, saying "I don't think this is necessary. It's easy to tell Jaehwan doesn't want to be with m-" but Hakyeon glared him into silence.

 

After clearing his throat, Hakyeon began to speak. "I think there's been some miscommunication between a few of the members lately and it needs to be cleared up. I'll start with Wonsikkie." He glances at the rapper who currenlty looked like he would rather be anywhere else at this moment and asked point blank "Wonsik, how do you feel about Jaehwan?"

 

That wasn't what Wonsik thought he'd be asked. If he were honest, he didn't even know why he was still sitting at the table. Whatever was going on, it had nothing to do with him. Thinking he'd be able to escaped faster if he answered quickly, Wonsik replied, "How do I feel about him? Well, I think he's funny...and talented. I'm glad he's a part of Vixx." Hakyeon immediately followed his reply with "So you don't like him, in a romantic way, at all?"

 

Wonsik felt his mouth open but no words would come out. Did Hakyeon honestly think he had feelings for Jaehwan when Wonsik had been doing everything in his power to get the leader to notice him? This had to be a joke and if it was, Wonsik didn't want any part of it. "Not at all. I like him, sure, but not like that. I don't think we match in that capacity." Wonsik replied, his tone serious. Though his hand was currently wrapped around the back of Jaehwan's neck, his eyes were peering directly into Hakyeon's, trying to convey a message. A message he felt his leader had gotten but had been steadily trying to ignore for some time. He was going to have to talk to him about this but now obviously wasn't the time.

 

When Wonsik looked across the table at Taekwoon, he saw a look of horror on his face, for a reason he couldn't understand. Was it so bad that he wasn't interested in Jaehwan? He asked "Is something wrong, hyung?" when Taekwoon's eyes continued to dart between him and Jaehwan, who had been looking down, at his own hands folded in his lap, since they'd sat down.

 

"Wonsik! Why don't you try to think about his feelings? Don't just brush him off without giving him a chance!" Taekwoon enthused. 

 

"I don't know what you want me to do. I'm not even sure what I'm here for!" Wonsik replied. 

 

This was getting kind of crazy. Everyone was speaking about Jaehwan like he was even in the room and he was starting to get annoyed. It was true that he hadn't said a word so far but that didn't mean he wasn't listening. "Alright, hyung! I get it. You don't want to be with me so you're planning to pass me to someone else! I know I'm pretty loud when we're playing around backstage and I don't visit during your solo stuff but I thought...." Jaehwan retorted, but couldn't finish. He saw what this was all about. Considering how gentle Taekwoon was, it made sense that rather than simply breaking up with him, he'd try to find a way to soften it, but pawning him off on Ravi was too much, even for Taekwoon.

 

Jaehwan had been staring at the table during his outburst. When he finally managed to look up, he made eye contact with a very confused Taekwoon. His expression annoyed Jaehwan even more. "What, hyung? You thought I couldn't tell what you're trying to do here? I guess it was my mistake to think you actually cared about me!" Hakyeon could see this was going to get out of hand quickly if he didn't interrupt.

 

"Jaehwan! I know you must be feeling upset but you don't have to talk to Taekwoonie like that. He's feeling just as frustrated as you are." Hakyeon calmly stated, pointedly ignoring the small snort he heard from Jaehwan, remembering he'd agreed to scold him every three times he acted up. Trying to reassure the only calm, and obviously most confused, member in their little meeting, Hakyeon turned to Wonsik and said, "Let me explain. Our Daeguni here is currently under the impression that Jaehwan is in love with you, Wonsik, even though they've been secretly seeing each other for months." He turns and glares at Taekwoon while he continues speaking to Wonsik, "Rather than trying to actually have a conversation with him, Taekwoon decided to come to his own decision and break things off. Even though that's not what either of them want." He finishes, glad to finally have everything out in the open.

 

Jaehwan's large eyes gaze across the table, shocked at what he'd just heard! Taekwoon actually thought he wanted to be with someone else? Wonsik? He was getting a headache. He began to rub at his temples while his brain tried to make sense of the situation.

 

"Let me get this straight." Jaehwan began, voice barely above a whisper. "You avoided me and said all that stuff because you thought-" but before he could finish the sentence, Taekwoon's own anger began to build. He abruptly stood, his chair screeching against the kitchen floor.

 

"What else was I supposed to think?! You made me promise not to tell the others, like you were ashamed. Whenever Wonsik was around you would practically run away from me. Even today, you spent the whole time talking about Wonsik in that interview. You think I don't notice how he fawns over you? Or how much you enjoy it?" Taekwoon accused. He seemed to deflate after saying this and dropped back into his chair, face hidden behind his hands.

 

This made Jaehwan think, really think, about how it would appear from Taekwoon's point of view. He could see how his hyung may have gottet that impression. In his desperation to keep the younger ones from teasing him, he'd completely ignored Taekwoon's feelings. If the situation were reversed, he doesn't think he could have kept his cool for as long as Taekwoon had. He needed to apologize.

 

His own anger forgotten, Jaehwan stood from his chair and walked around the table. He stopped when he was close enough to Taekwoon to feel his body heat and gently said, "Hyung?" but there was no response. He called him again and this time, there was movement. Taekwoon slowly slid his hands from his face but wouldn't raise his head. Instead, he had his eyes closed as if he were waiting for Jaehwan to confirm his suspicions. Jaehwan knelt beside Taekwoon and slid a hand onto his knee, looking up into his face. Even though his eyes were closed Jaehwan could detect his hyung's anguish in the way Taekwoon's brow was pinched, how he was gnawing on his upper lip.

 

This had to stop. He couldn't watch Taekwoon in pain and it made it even more unbearable when Jaehwan, himself, was the cause. Since Taekwoon wouldn't respond, Jaehwan decided to take matters into his own hands, literally. He grabbed Taekwoon by the opposite thigh and spun him in the chair, so he was now facing Jaehwan, who was still kneeling. Finally, Taekwoon opened his eyes. He looked down at first, as if afraid to meet Jaehwan's gaze. Suddenly, none of it mattered to Jaehwan anymore. Let them make fun of him, he could handle it. If they tried to involve Taekwoon, that would give Jaehwan a reason to stick even closer to him. Trying to avoid all the teasing in the world wasn't worth seeing Taekwoon like this.

 

"Hyung." Jaehwan called, but Taekwoon still wouldn't look at him. Taking drastic measures, Jaehwan did something he rarely ever does, figuring it would at least get him a response. "Taekwoon, look at me!" When he heard his name being call with authority, and lacking the usual "hyung" at the end, Taekwoon's head shot up. He looked surprised for a moment and Jaehwan used that distraction to his advantage.

 

Scooting forward so he was kneeling between Taekwoon's legs, Jaehwan grabbed Taekwoon's face with both hands. With his thumbs gently rubbing Taekwoon's fluffy cheeks, Jaehwan pulled until their faces were a few short inches apart. He waited, looking into his hyung's eyes. After 20 seconds, Jaehwan opened his mouth, letting the words flow without trying to filter or edit them, speaking loud enough for Hakyeon and Wonsik to hear him.

 

"Hyung. I love you." Taekwoon's eyes became the size of saucers, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing and Jaehwan pressed on. "No one else, only you. I was never embarrassed of you, I was being stupid because I didn't want to get teased by those two devils. It had nothing to do with Wonsik, he just happened to always be around Hyukkie and Bin. I'm sorry you thought I didn't want to be with you...that I wanted to be with someone else. That was never the case." During this, Taekwoon had closed his eyes again. He wasn't crying, per say, but there was an obvious wetness clinging to his eyelashes that Jaehwan wiped away.

 

Jaehwan felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and got an idea. "I know I made a mistake but let me try to make it up to you!" he took one hand from Taekwoon's face to snatch his phone from his back pocket and unlocked it. _Perfect_ , he thought, _Thing 1 and Thing 2 are on Kakao!_

 

When Taekwoon heard this, he tried to duck his head, which didn't work because Jaehwan was still holding his face with one hand. He settled for gently shaking his head, whispering "It's fine, Jaehwan-ah. You don't have to do anything like-" but before he could finish, Jaehwan was already taking a selfie with him.

 

Jaehwan leaned his cheek against Taekwoon's, excitedly saying, "Smile, hyung!" and Taekwoon did. He smiled bigger than any of the fans had ever seen, but Jaehwan wasn't done snapping photos. After a few more, Jaehwan brought his phone down for a moment and directed, "This is the last picture hyung. When I say three, I want you to turn and face me. I'll do the same, okay?" When Taekwoon nodded, Jaehwan angled the phone towards the two of them and counted, "One, two..... Three!" They both turned at the same moment but Jaehwan leaned forward and caught Taekwoon's lips with his own, capturing the moment perfectly with his phone. Wonsik and Hakyeon both made noises that matched the look on Taekwoon's face. While Taekwoon covered his face with both hands trying to ward off his blush, Jaehwan posted the last picture in their group chat on Kakao with the caption MINE! written directly beneath it. 

 

Hakyeon's phone had been on the kitchen counter so he heard it buzz with Jaehwan's new message. Then the buzzing wouldn't stop as Hongbin and Hyuk feverishly reacted, which consisted mainly of vomiting emojis from Hongbin and animated explosions of hearts and hugging bears from Hyuk. Hakyeon began to rub his forehead, happy for the main vocals but foreseeing the amount of work it was going to take to keep them in-check during public appearances. Taekwoon had hands like an octopus and Starlights rarely missed a thing!

 

He looked up to find that those same two main vocals were now fully making out. At some point, Taekwoon had slid off his chair to land in Jaehwan's lap with his hands anchored in his hair. Jaehwan's position was no better, one hand gripping Taekwoon's waist and the other slid precariously low, well beyond his lower back. The noises that were currently escaping Taekwoon had Hakyeon itching to leave the room.

 

Intent on dragging Wonsik with him, he looked at this dongsaeng and froze. Wonsik was staring at him, or - had been staring at him the entire time, if he'd ever looked up during the last 10 minutes or so - staring through him. His expression was bland but his eyes told a different story. Hakyeon could be mistaken but it looked like desire and affection were held deep in the rapper's pupils, and that couldn't be right. With the way Wonsik had been rebuffing his hugs and refusing to play around with him, which had been going on for the last year or two, Hakyeon had to be wrong.

 

Suddenly feeling awkward, Hakyeon cleared his throat and broke their eye contact. Standing, he wiped his palms down his thighs. He suddenly couldn't look at Wonsik's face as he said, "Let's give them some privacy, Sik-ah. You can head to your studio if you wan-" but Wonsik interrupted him mid-sentence. "Yeah, I think I'm gonna hang around, if that's alright with you." Wonsik replied as he stood. Still refusing to make eye contact, Hakyeon mumbled, "Of course it's fine. I'm just going t-to head out and....pick up some stuff..." as he made his way to the front door, he stuffed his phone into his pocket. "I want to make some new candles, so..." Hakyeon continued and he grabbed his keys. He turned to face Wonsik's general direction as he said "I'll be back in a bit!"

 

Wonsik watched as the door closed and sighed. He had a feeling Hakyeon knew what he felt. He walked over to the couch in the living room and slumped down into its comfy cushions. Closing his eyes, he wondered how he could make it work between him and Hakyeon. He heard low voices coming from the kitchen and decided to turn the television on. No need to make himself more gloomy by listening to the new lovers.

 

In the kitchen, Jaehwan tilted his head back, effectively breaking the kiss. Taekwoon leaned forward, his head against Jaehwan's shoulder, trying to catch his breath. "Are you sure it's okay?" Taekwoon's muffled voice asked. It's was one question but it carried multiple meanings. Jaehwan stroked his hyung's hair and waited for him to look at him. When he did, Jaehwan replied, "Not just okay, it's perfect. I want to be with you more than anything and the others should know about it. I'm too happy that you actually agreed to keep it a secret!" He rubbed their noses together as he added "From now on, you're mine~" and Taekwoon could only roll his eyes at the corniness. They remained on the kitchen floor, the soft noise from the TV in the other room creating a peaceful atmosphere. Everything would work out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So how was it?  
> I hope yall liked it! It took me awhile but I def enjoyed writing this  
> I'm not sure what to do with the leftover tension so for now I'm gonna leave it.
> 
> Thanks for reading until the end  
> m(_ _)m  
> Please feel free to leave comments! I live on them!


	9. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're done!  
> This was such a fun experience! I never thought I'd write something like this, let alone publish it online. I started this for fun during some free time between classes and it turned into a monster haha.
> 
> No beta (how does one go about getting one of those?) so sorry for the mistakes.
> 
> Enjoy~

Wonsik was still sitting in the same position on the couch when Hyuk and Hongbin returned to the dorm. Apparently, Jaehwan and Taekwoon had decided to fix dinner for them all tonight, which was a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, they'd have a homemade meal and Wonsik's mouth was already watering with all the smells wafting from the kitchen. On the other hand, having to listen to Hongbin make retching sounds every time Jaehwan decided to kiss Taekwoon, which was apparently once every 3 seconds judging from all the noise coming from Hongbin, made Wonsik want to go in the kitchen and karate chop the visual.

 

After having changed his clothes, Hyuk wandered out to the living room and sat down next to Wonsik on the couch. He was quiet at first, tapping away on his phone but after some time he put his phone face down on his thigh and looked at Wonsik. He didn't say anything, just stared until Wonsik felt uncomfortable enough to ask, "What is it, Hyukkie?" He stretched and ran a hand through his hair before sitting sideways on the sofa to face the maknae.

 

"Nothing, hyung. Just wondering why you're so quiet. I thought you'd be in the kitchen bothering the lovebirds like Hongbin-hyung, but you look kind of sad." Hyuk answered. Before Wonsik could reply, he heard the sound of a notification coming Hyuk's phone and watched as his dongsaeng produced a different iPhone from his pocket, this one smaller than the one that was still perched on his thigh. Hyuk mumbled, "Perfect! I think I got them all..." to himself. Stuffing both phones in his pocket, he stood and walked to the kitchen. Wonsik also stood, figuring if the Devil-mint twins were about to strike he wanted to be there to watch it go down. 

 

The first thing he saw was Jaehwan attached to Taekwoon like a barnacle. The elder currently in the middle of a phone call, standing at a pot filled with stew. He was adding vegetables to the bubbling contents while the phone was pressed between his ear and shoulder, and there was a plate beside the stove that contained a few large chunks of cleaned fish, waiting to be added. Wonsik could hear him tell someone over the phone, "Yeah. I just need some pepper paste and flakes. Ah, maybe you could get some of that chocolate Jaehwannie likes? Thanks." Taekwoon hung up the phone and dumped the rest of the ingredients in the pot. Wonsik watched as Taekwoon gathered up the used utensils and plates, having to shuffle around the kitchen because Jaehwan refused to relinquish his hold on him. From what Wonsik was seeing, this clearly didn't bother Taekwoon in the slightest.

 

Jaehwan was plastered to Taekwoon's back, arms wrapped firmly around his waist as he poked his tongue out at Meme-bin. Hyuk was leaning against one of the counters, arms folded across his chest as he shook his head. "Hongbin-hyung, don't you think it's kind of dangerous for Ken-hyung to be holding on to Taekwoon-hyung like that?" the maknae asked, a glint in his eye as he wiggled his eyebrows in suggestion. Clearly Hongbin got the hint. One moment he'd been looking at the two, rolling his eyes into the next century and the next, he had anchored his arms around Jaehwan's waist trying to physically pulled him away Taekwoon.

 

The little kitchen erupted in to screams as Jaehwan shrieked, Hongbin laughed and Hyuk yelled instructions to Hongbin, like he was a coach in a boxing match. After a tug-of-war, Jaehwan let go of Taekwoon on his own. He'd sobered up after Taekwoon had almost been knocked to floor because of their rough housing. Satisfied, Hongbin dusted his hands off, saying "That's better!" with a dimpled smile. There was no way Jaehwan would stand for this. He stomped his foot as he threatened the maknae line, "Where's my phone? I'm gonna call N-hyung! When he gets back, he'll put both of you over his knee!"

 

This caused Hongbin's smile to fall but Hyuk only smiled more. reaching into his pocket, Hyuk pulled out the smaller phone Wonsik had seen early and taunted Jaehwan, "You mean this phone? Here you go." he said, handing his hyung the phone calmly. Jaehwan took the phone and turned the screen on, his eyebrows bunching together as he asked "Why is my gallery open?" 

 

Hyuk studied his fingernails as he replied, "Hmm? Oh, I just sent that scret folder of yours to my phone. You know, the one with the hundreds of photos you took of Taekwoon-hyung sleeping and eating and changing. I think our Starlight in the fancafe would love to see some of those shower scenes!" Jaehwan's mouth gaped as he looked at Taekwoon, whose face was the brightest shade of pink any of the members had ever seen. Jaehwan screamed as he ran after the maknae, chasing him around the small kitchen. "How did you even get into my phone?! It's locked!" he yelled. Hyuk laughed as he easily dodged Jaehwan, "Your pin is Taekwoon-hyung's birthday. Only an idiot couldn't get into your phone." 

Jaehwan continued to chase Hyuk until Taekwoon stepped into his path, halting him and putting him on the defensive. Jaehwan threw both his hands up as if surrendering and began to slowly back away from the kitchen as he pleaded, "Hyung, it's not what you think! I've been meaning to delete that folder but somehow it kept growing larger as time went on.... It's just, you have such have great body and your thighs are amazing!" 

 

All four members watched as Taekwoon turned off the stove and walked towards Jaehwan. For every step Jaehwan to back, Taekwoon took three forward until they were face to face and Jaehwan finally stopped rambling. Taekwoon laced his fingers behind Jaehwans head, leaning in to kiss him. Jaehwan squeaked at first, but his hand naturally found their way to Taekwoon's hips, holding on for dear life.

 

They continued to kiss as Taekwoon walked Jaehwan backwards, out of the kitchen and down the hall. Judging from the thumps and Jaehwan's yelped curses, the journey wasn't smooth but they made it to Jaehwan's room. The murmurs and gagging noises from the kitchen were blocked out completely once Jaehwan closed the door to his room. He watched Taekwoon sit on his bed, feeling suddenly nervous. "Are you really not mad, hyung?" Jaehwan asked, afraid Taekwoon thought he was some kind of pervert. He was going to kill Hyuk....after a few protein shakes and several months at the gym.

 

Taekwoon gently shook his head, "No, not really. It's kind of odd but I'm not mad." he answered. His face was still pink as he started to fiddle with the drawstring hanging from the shorts he was wearing. Taekwoon whispered something but because his he was no longer facing him, Jaehwan couldn't hear a single word.

 

He slid the chair in his room over to place it directly in front of Taekwoon, sitting down to grab both of his hands. Leaning forward, Jaehwan breathed, "What, hyung?" Taekwoon didn't raise his head as he once again whispered, though with slightly more clarity, "I also have....some pictures...." but before he could finish the sentence, he leaned forward until his face was pressed against Jaehwan's chest. Jaehwan could let this go but he wanted confirmation. Instead of making him sit up, Jaehwan slid his arms around Taekwoon's back as he completed his hyung's unfinished sentence, "...of me? You took pictures of me?" He couldn't quite keep the smile from his face when he felt Taekwoon nod his head against Jaehwan and he began to absently rub his hung's back, chuckling.

 

"It's not funny!" Taekwoon whined as he gently poked Jaehwan's side. "Ah, hyung. I'm not laughing _at_ you, I'm laughing because we match better than I thought!" Jaehwan explained. They sat there for a few minutes before Jaehwan tugged Taekwoon off the bed and onto his lap.

 

"Is this going to become a habit?" Taekwoon asked when he was planted firmly on his dongsaeng's thighs. Jaehwan gave him a confused look, his head tilting to the side, looking exactly like an adorable puppy, saying "Huh?" It was Taekwoon's turn to smile as he looked down at their bodies, "You know, me sitting in your lap like this." he cheekily replied. Jaehwan's look of confusion morphed into a sly grin as he answered, "Well, I do like having you here, hyung." accentuating his statement by squeezing Taekwoon's waist.

 

"So do I." Taekwoon replied as he leaned down to meet Jaehwan's lips with his own.

 

Hyuk had already gone back into the living room, trying to schedule some time to meet a few friends, leaving Hongbin with a solemn Wonsik in the kitchen. The rapper was leaning against a wall, arms folded as he stared vacantly in the direction his two hyung's had disappeared. Hongbin knew what this was about. He'd seen how his friend stared at their leader, the way he overreacted when Hakyeon tried to touch him and knew it was all a show. What he didn't know was what had gone wrong, when it had all changed.

 

He walked over to stand beside Wonsik, patting him on the shoulder. "You'll have your chance at that." he assured Wonsik, who replied "You think so?" with both hope and doubt in his eyes. Hongbin gave his honest opinion, not hiding anything when he said " Talk to him, Wonsik, Hakyeon may be crazy sometimes but there's no way he wouldn't understand how you feel." Giving his shoulder a squeeze, he repeated "Talk to him." Wonsik nodded in response and moved to the refrigerator, wanting to grab a bottle of water while Hongbin went back to Taekwoon's half-cooked soup and turned the fire back on.

 

While Wonsik was digging around in the fridge, he heard the front door open and close. He closed his eyes to calm himself and continued his mission of finding water. 

 

Hakyeon spoke to Hyuk on his way to the kitchen but didn't stop because he wanted to put the grocery bags down as soon as possible. He got a pleasant surprise when he walked into the kitchen and found Hongbin stirring the food Taekwoon was supposed to be preparing. "Hongbin-ah! Are you cooking tonight? Where's Taekwoonie?" he asked as he set the bags on the counter. He walked over to Hongbing and threw his arm around his shoulder, shaking him slightly as Hongbin complained ,"Yah, stop pushing me around! You don't care if I burn our food?" with a small smile. He couldn't truly get upset with their leader, but it was fun to tease him.

 

Wonsik stood and closed the refrigerator door, a cold water in his hand as he observed his group members. Figuring it was best to break the weird atmosphere between himself and Hakyeon, he decided to speak up, "Hyung, did you get me something from the store?" It was obvious that Hakyeon hadn't been aware he was in the kitchen, the way his shoulders jumped at the sound of his voice a dead giveaway, but he turned from where he'd been draped over Hongbin and placed his hands on his hips. With a smile that was almost genuine, Hakyeon said, "Hmph! Even though you don't deserve it with how you ignored me during all our interviews earlier, I picked you up some of the tuna sushi you like so much. It's in one of these bags..." his voiced trailed off as he eyed each bag on the counter. 

 

Wonsik walked over to the counter and began to search through the bags himself, saying, "I'll find it, hyung." Hakyeon didn't argue, taking a step back as his dongsaeng made his way over. 

 

When Wonsik found it, he immediately stashed it in the refrigerator. As he turned back around to face Hakyeon he said, "Thanks, hyung! I'll bring it with me when I head to the studio later." At hearing this, Hakyeon smiled, happy he was able to help Wonsik. He's always felt helpless when Wonsik was involved, knowing how much he constantly worked for the sake of Vixx.

 

As the leader, Hakyeon knows he shouldn't show favoritism but, sometimes he couldn't help himself and would end up bragging about his amazing dongsaeng during radio interviews when the members weren't around. There was no denying Wonsik's hard work and long hours, his work ethic admirable and bordering on manic. There was a time when he and Wonsik would be up hours after the others had gone to bed, talking about their future plans and goals for Vixx. Hakyeon would share a few of his worries and comfort Wonsik when the rapper shared his. Something had happened, though. Wonsik no longer sought him out for advice. He spent less time in the dorm, preferring to be in his studio and around his production team. He often ignored Hakyeon when he tried to joke like they'd done for years and it was worse when others were around. Hakyeon would be lying if he said it didn't hurt his feeling sometimes. Other times, he knew the rapper always had three or four things on his mind at once so he could understand Wonsik being a bit withdrawn.

Wonsik watched his leader put the rest of the groceries away, placing a small bag of chocolate in the cabinet labeled "Ken's Snacks! Don't Touch!!" and made a decision. While Hakyeon was digging around in a different cabinet, standing on his toes and starting to lose his balance, Wonsik walked directly up behind him. When Hakyeon placed his feet flat on the floor once more, his back bumped into Wonsik's front and the air in his lungs whooshed out. Wonsik reached out to close the cabinet and as he leaned forward he murmured in Hakyeon's ear, "I need to talk to you. Can you drop by the studio with me after we finish eating?"

Hakyeon could only nod, still paralyzed from their close proximity. Wonsik immediately took a step back, placing a hand on Hakyeon's shoulder to give it a squeeze in thanks. Once Hakyeon could move again, all the sounds from the kitchen seemed to explode around him. Hongbin was calling the main vocals to the table and Hyuk was yelling from the living room that he'd be on his way once he hung up with Sungjae. To make himself useful, Hakyeon walked over to the pot Hongbin was hovering over, offering to help season it while grabbing the soy sauce. When Hongbin argued, "Yah! Put that bottle down! I just tasted it and the stew is perfect already!" Hakyeon whined and asked for a sip, adamant that Hongbin feed him.

The visual laughed as he grabbed a spoonful for Hakyeon but as he turned from the pot he caught a glimpse of Wonsik's face. To an outsider, it appeared that he was just staring but Hongbin knew Wonsik and he could tell the rapper wasn't appreciative of the leader acting cute towards him. In the end, Hongbin turned the spoon around and directed to his own mouth, almost spitting the food out instantly at Hakyeon's indignant squawk. Shaking his head, he said, "Yep. It's perfect. Could you grab some bowls for me? Looks like we're all here." The leader did as he was asked, grumbling the entire about ungrateful members.  


With everyone seated at the table, the noise was off the charts. The main vocals were in their own little world, Taekwoon taking it upon himself to give bites of food from his plate to Jaehwan periodically. Hongbin and Hyuk were laughing while looking at Hyuk's phone, Hyuk looking over at Jaehwan to ask, "Hyung, why did you take a picture of Taekwoon-hyung's nipp-" when Jaehwan started screeching "Yah! If you finish that sentence, I can't promise what might come out of mouth on or next variety show appearance. The last time we went drinking, you mentioned something about _his lips being so soft_..." This got Hyuk's attentions and his face colored as he apologized immediately, "Ah! Hyung, sorry! Never mind!" Jaehwan stuck his nose in the air and sniffed arrogantly as he accepted another chuck of fish from Taekwoon's spoon.  

 

Hakyeon enjoyed the lively atmosphere. He looked around the table and locked eyes with Wonsik. Again, he'd been staring but he didn't look as intense as he had earlier. Instead, he seemed like he'd come to terms with something that had been bothering him and it reminded Hakyeon that he'd agreed to meet with him later.

The leader stared back down at his plate, half of his food already gone. He didn't know what Wonsik wanted to talk to him about but he felt it was important. He had to make sure he listened carefully and responded accordingly. Maybe things would go back to how they were before Wonsik started to pull away.

It was that last thought that gave him hope and calmed his nerves when Wonsik announced he was heading to his studio. Hakyeon stood and sat his bowl in the sink. Making his excuses to the others, he followed Wonsik to the door. 

Before they left, Wonsik turned and said, "This won't take too long, hyung. I just want us to be able to talk in a more quiet area."

Much like in the kitchen, Hakyeon nodded and stuffed his hands in front pocket of his hoodie. It would be nice to talk, really talk, to Wonsik again. With a small smile on his face, Hakyeon walked with Wonsik to his studio.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why? Why did I make things more complicated than they needed to be?!? It was so nice and neat but I just felt the need to add Wonsik into the mix. Sorry...but not really.  
> Will I add to this? Probably.   
> Soon? Doubt it.
> 
> I've started on a new Keo fic as well as a "Vixx x other idol group" ship. I'm never sure how to post..like should I post as I write or wait until I have a few chapters and then start posting? What do yall think? Anyway, once I finish those I'll come back here and cringe over this story.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading all the way till the end!!! How was it?  
> I love comments and fangirling~

**Author's Note:**

> I hope it's okay so far *sweats* I have the next 2 chapters fleshed out, just making small adjustments here and there. Kudos and comments appreciated
> 
> *runs and hides under a bed*


End file.
